Cooking Up Romance (The Taylor Triplets Book 1)

by Lynne Marshall

  “Emma, can you give me a chance to shower, please?” Zack stopped that line of questioning as quickly as it popped up.

  “Okay, but are you guys gonna get married? Lacy!” she said, as though thinking of the most amazing idea in the world. “Are you going to be my mom now?”

  Lacy wanted to curl into a ball and hide her face underneath the pillow. Shouldn’t Zack be taking the lead on this? Yet, he seemed as flabbergasted as she felt.

  “Hey, Emmy, let me take a shower and we’ll talk about all this later, okay?” Zack said, firm, commanding, without shouting. Emma didn’t seem to get the message.

  As best as Lacy could tell, Emma had stayed put at the foot of her father’s bed, probably shocked into motionlessness. Something Lacy could easily relate to. Or, was she simply an incredibly nosy ten-year-old?

  Lacy’s cheeks heated and her toes curled. There was no way she could face Emma that morning, not after all the things she and Zack had done to each other last night.

  “Okay?” Zack pressed harder. “Skedaddle.”

  “Okay,” Emma said, retreating to the door but not leaving. “Are you gonna have breakfast here, Lacy?”

  “Uh. Probably not.” Her response was muffled from her face still being buried in the pillow. It might take a week before she’d be able to face the child without turning a deep shade of crimson.

  “Aw, shoot.”

  “Close the door, Shortcake.” Zack made the firm and obvious order a warning. “Now.”

  The door finally shut. “Okay,” came the muted reply on the other side.

  Zack poked Lacy in the ribs. “Are you aware you’ve got a full moon going on?” he whispered.

  Lacy gasped, checking out the short sheet situation over her backside, finally realizing there was indeed a draft over her rear end. All of it! But glancing back into Zack’s playful gaze, with his bed hair resembling a mad scientist, she wound up giggling, and he snickered along with her.

  “What’s so funny?” Emma asked through the door, having obviously hung around instead of giving her dad privacy.

  Which only made Lacy and Zack burst into full-out laughter, the kind with tears and side aches, and nearly as tension relieving as all the great sex they’d had last night. But which, of course, couldn’t really be compared with that sex. At all.

  Chapter Twelve

  Sometimes the only way to get Noah to take a nap was to go for a drive. Wednesday morning was one of those naptimes. Her baby just wouldn’t settle down. But Eva had a purpose for the drive today. She needed to deliver the signed agreement for the bathroom upgrades she’d requested, and the main office for Gardner & Associates was located in Little River Valley, a forty-minute drive one way. The trip, with the double purpose, sounded like a good plan to her.

  She put Noah in his car seat. He suffered through the usual complaints of being pinned in until he was strapped, snapped, and able to see the kiddie mirror on the back seat. Then he cooed and got excited about the little face staring back at him. Within minutes, he’d drifted off to sleep and soon enough Eva was on the 101 Freeway heading south with the tourquise blue ocean sparkling in the midmorning sun on her right. Thanks to lighter than usual traffic, she turned inland ahead of schedule. Knowing Noah fared better with a full hour nap, she took a detour through town on the main street to kill time.

  Along with the unique department store named LRV after the town, where they sold only goods made locally, there were several trendy eateries, along with one greasy spoon café and a couple of teahouses. Oh, and she couldn’t forget the three wine-tasting rooms, with and without appetizers for the price of the samples. Somewhere nearby there had to be a grocery store but that was probably banned from the main street. The town’s well-known motto was No Chain Stores Allowed! Everyone knew it and respected them for it, inconvenience and all.

  There was no way she could avoid the fact an election campaign was in full swing with signs lining both sides of the boulevard. On one side of the street she saw Re-elect Joe Aguirre for Mayor! On the other, Stop Mayor Aguirre from Ruining Our Town, Vote for Luella Barnstable! She shook her head, tired to death of election shenanigans, and drove on. Even in small towns these days, the candidates seemed to go for the jugular. What had ever happened to friendly debates, may the best man win and all of that?

  When she reached the end of the small boulevard, there was an upscale spa nestled among a grove of citrus trees, which seemed to be calling out her name. Just Breathe offered full spa treatments and much, much more, according to the subtle upscale storefront sign in proper cursive. Oh, for the days when she could do exactly what she’d wanted and when she’d wanted. She chastised herself for sounding old. Age had nothing to do with the change in her lifestyle, but becoming an adoptive mother certainly had.

  As if reading her thoughts, Noah squirmed and woke up. “Hey, Pudge!” she said, her nickname for Noah, because, well, he was all folds! Think what she might about a spa day, there was no way she’d trade in motherhood for the unattached life again. “We’re almost there.”

  The GPS led her to the Gardner office. She parked directly in front, head in. All she intended to do was drop off the papers and leave. The temperature was in the low seventies—plus she had a full view of her boy in the car—so she got out and rushed to the door, leaving him undisturbed. Her real reason for making this trip was to find that pink food truck and finally see for herself. She’d checked online and found Wrap Me Up and Take Me Home’s page, though there hadn’t been any recent posts.

  The front office door was locked, and just as she was about to slide the signed papers through the mail slot, where who knew how long they’d stay before being noticed, she saw the handwritten note. At local senior housing construction site today. An address was given and a phone number. She added both to her phone.

  Eva slipped back into the car, deciding to skip the call and see Zack Gardner in person, which she had yet to do. There was something about looking a person in the eye, before returning a contract, that all the polite phone calls in the world couldn’t replace. If she was going to give him free rein with her too-small and outdated bathroom, she wanted to try out her Spidey sense on him first, because trust was a big deal to her, and he had to pass the test.

  Afterward, she’d go off in search of Lacy Winters’s pink foodmobile. Maybe she’d buy some lunch, too.

  * * *

  Zack couldn’t stop grinning all morning at work. Having left a gorgeous redhead in his bed could do that to a guy. Of course, then he’d been faced with Emma’s unending questions about his personal love life on the entire drive to school. He’d put his foot down and pulled the “that’s none of your business” reply several times. However, he had assured his daughter that he and Lacy loved each other, and they’d see where things went from there. That seemed to shut her up.

  Briefly.

  Thank goodness they lived near her elementary school.

  “Listen up, folks,” Zack said over the loudspeaker in his mobile office. “Lacy will be back serving lunch today, at the usual time.” More than a few guys whistled and whooped in the yard afterward. They’d missed her lunches, and he could hear them all the way up front. He’d used the excuse of her being sick when she hadn’t shown up on Monday here in Little River Valley and at the Santa Barbara site yesterday, where more than a few disappointed and hungry guys had to change their lunch plans.

  After a weekend of hell, and two of the dreariest weekdays since he’d served divorce papers to his ex, he could finally count his blessings. As of Tuesday night, around ten o’clock, Lacy had come to her senses. Obviously sooner, but that was when she’d arrived at his house to tell him. Thank the stars in heaven and right on up the chain of command to the top, she had. Though he was as nervous as he imagined she was about their going for it all, love and including marriage. He’d take his time breaking the news to his skittish lover because of how much foo
t dragging she’d done with just dating. Hell, he’d had to get over a crane-sized confidence deficit to admit he loved her, so he’d cut her some slack. It was a big step for both of them to take. He knew she was the one. Had known early on, which had sent shivers through his insecurities since he’d planned after the divorce to stay single until Emma was on her own. That’s how long it seemed it would take to get over the damage Mona had inflicted on him by cheating. So much for plans.

  Looked like they both had changes in store for them, and Zack had all the confidence in the world he and Lacy could handle it. Together.

  Ha! As if he could micromanage his life plan. He’d been told since a boy back in Utah that God had a sense of humor. This time, the big joke was on Zack. He thought back to the sidesplitting session with Lacy in bed that morning, after being caught by Emma, and nearly blurted another laugh. It was just one more thing they did naturally together—laugh—and was further proof they were compatible.

  The huge, looming form of Ben filled his office door, stomping out his grin. “There’s someone here to see you.”

  Mental-fantasy break over, time to get back to work.

  * * *

  Lacy had been beyond discombobulated all morning since waking up at Zack’s house with Emma wandering into the bedroom. She’d purposely hid out in his room until they’d both left for school and work. Then, during a shower in his fabulously large doorless Italian-tiled stall, complete with jets coming from every angle, she’d had more than a few fantasies about him being in there with her. “In time, my sweet, in time,” she’d cackled naughtily, while toweling off. Afterward she dressed and headed home.

  What an amazing night. Her emotions had been off the chart when she’d shown up at his house, but laying her true feelings on the line was the smartest decision she’d ever made. The only question being, why hadn’t she done it sooner? Regardless, Zack had been receptive. Then fireworks started and the rest, as they say, was breaking news at eleven, X-rated stuff.

  Since being with Zack all night, happily distracted from the huge change in her personal relationship status—which she had no intention of sharing on her social media page—she’d been scrambling to pull everything together in the food truck. She had mouths to feed!

  She knew what her Little River Valley construction guys liked, and loaded up with extra steak and chicken in preparation for those wraps. Then, after one more run-through of her standard daily checklist, she hopped behind the wheel and headed to the site. There was definitely an advantage to living ten minutes away from your job.

  * * *

  Zack stood in preparation to meet Evangelina DeLongpre. Then, when she replaced Ben in his doorway, he suddenly had the need to sit back down. He froze, eyes wide, mouth probably open, he wasn’t sure. So shocked he didn’t know if he was sitting or standing. His ears rang from his pulse sprinting through his temples. For the first time in his life he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

  She was the image of Lacy, but with styled, shorter hair with bangs. Plus, she had a baby on her hip. Other than that, it could have been Lacy. No doubt.

  “Have I caught you at a bad time, Mr. Gardner? You seem a bit distracted.”

  “Uh, no. It’s just. Well, it’s uncanny.”

  She looked confused. In the distance the familiar Happy Days horn blared. Zack’s heart nearly exploded at the sound. He needed to swallow so he could speak, but his mouth had gone bone-dry. He reached for the bottled water he kept on his desk and took a swig, managing to choke and dribble simultaneously, nearly sending water out his nose. After wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, aware that Eva’s opinion of him was probably going from worried to frightened to let’s call the whole remodeling thing off, he found his voice. There was only one way to handle this.

  “Our lunch truck is here. Can I get you something?”

  She seemed unsure, as though wondering why in the world they should stop everything and take a lunch break.

  “We have a great local chef who makes the best wraps in town.”

  She glanced out the window to where the large pink truck had pulled into the site, then seemed to stiffen and hold her breath. “Is that truck, by any chance, called Wrap Me Up and Take Me home?” Her voice had changed to a tentative tone. Exactly like Lacy speaking in a tentative tone.

  Now, from the quick flash in her eyes, she was the one to look off balance and possibly terrified.

  An odd sense of peace settled over him. “So, you know already.”

  Color seemed to disappear from the creamy-complexioned woman, and it was apparent her baby had gotten too heavy to hold.

  “Do you need to sit? I can take your baby.”

  The shock had shifted from Zack to Eva almost as if she’d had a premonition something earth-shattering was about to happen. Having just gone through the experience of seeing her, he understood and wanted to help any way he could. Then he wondered how she could possibly know her double was out there in that pink truck. Had Ben told her?

  He reached for his stash of bottled water. “Here. Take a sip.” He waited while she drank with a noticeably wobbly hand. She had to know about Lacy already. What else could explain this behavior? “How did you find out about her?”

  “Someone had seen her at a wedding and showed me her social media page with the pink truck. I haven’t seen her in person yet. Not even sure if she really looks like me, since her picture was from a distance.”

  “Oh, I can guarantee you look like her all right.” He couldn’t stop staring.

  Eva’s head bobbed up, concern and something else written on her face. Curiosity? Fear? Hope?

  Zack wasn’t sure which, and he could only imagine how Lacy and Eva would soon feel, finally seeing each other. He walked over and peeked through the mobile office window blinds beside his desk, seeing a small crowd gathered around the lunch truck. “We should probably give Lacy a chance to feed the guys before we knock her off her feet. And you look like you could use some time to recover, too.”

  Who was he kidding? So did he!

  Eva agreed, seemed even grateful for the chance to recover her composure, but Zack only grew more nervous.

  * * *

  Lacy had parked in her usual spot under the huge oak tree, always grateful there were no plans to cut it down for the senior housing project. She’d seen the plans—Zack had shared them—and when the building was finished, there would be two memorial benches in place under this canopy of branches and leaves. The thought always made her smile.

  She’d switched on the prepared coffeemaker and pulled containers from the refrigerator. Busy like a bee, she’d run through her routine preparations. Once everything had been in order, she’d flipped the switch to open her serving window and extend the truck awning. The guys knew her menu by heart. No need to post it.

  The crew had already lined up, and she barely had a chance to catch her breath over the next several minutes as, one after another, the guys gave their orders. It felt great to be back serving them! The best part was that time sped by.

  Forty-five minutes later, she sold the last hand pie to one of her regulars, a young Latina construction worker, and then she turned. There was Zack standing beside one of the trees, which startled her. “You scared me! Want your usual?”

  He looked rattled, as though another one of his guys had had an accident.

  “You okay?”

  He nodded in slow motion, making her worry that something awful had happened since that morning and he was on the verge of giving her the details. He hadn’t changed his mind about them already, had he? Her heart fluttered.

  “So, Chicken Done Right?” She forced herself to concentrate.

  “Uh, for me, yes, but there’ll be another order.” He’d found his unsteady voice.

  “Taking something home for Emma?” she said as she busily put his wrap together.

  “No. Getting so
mething for one of my new clients.”

  A fussy baby’s vocalizations grabbed Lacy’s attention, though not in view. “New client got a hungry kid to feed, too?” she said, head down, working efficiently.

  Zack didn’t answer. Because of his silence, Lacy glanced up, then froze. Something was up, and the fine hair on the back of her neck was suggesting she take notice.

  He nodded, then gestured for someone out of her line of vision to step forward. “Maybe you should place your own order.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Lacy’s doppelgänger stepped in front of the truck’s order window. Surely this was a hologram or a trick or some ridiculous mistake. Yet the woman was real and standing right in front of her. Like a mirror. Shock invaded the blood pulsing through her veins, then headed south to her stomach and, nearly swooning from the effect, Lacy almost passed out. She dropped Zack’s wrap, then gripped the counter for support. With her knees threatening to buckle, and her heart rate zip-lining every which way, she held tight to the stainless steel, staring at the woman and blinking, because this wasn’t her imagination.

  She was a living, breathing double.

  “I’ll have a Put a Steak in It, please,” the woman said, as though it was the hardest thing she’d ever had to say.

  Her own voice might have spoken the words, and a stunned Lacy shook her head. Had she heard right, what was going on? After a second blink, as her eyes adjusted to the sight, she saw herself. Standing right there in front of her. A far more polished version of herself. A woman who was clearly as shaken as Lacy.

  This was real. This was happening, and there could only be one explanation.

  “What am I doing standing here!” Lacy said, finally gathering her thoughts, finding her voice. Commanding her body to obey, she rushed to the side door and down the stairs. She stopped dead in front of her mirror image, afraid to make contact. “I’ve been told you were out there, but I just laughed it off.”